Steam-condenser



PATENTED MAR. 1', 1904.

' R. W. KNAPP.

STEAM CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED we. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

' R-.- W. KNAPP. STEAM CONDENSER. Arguuuiou FILED AUG. 22, 1902.

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PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

' R. W. KNAPP.

STEAM CONDENSER.

APPLICATION nun we. 22, 19 2.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H0 MODEL.

No. 753,404 I PATENTED MAR. 1", 1904.

R. W. KNAPP.

STEAM CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902 NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Mi @225 War/1 UNITED STATES Patented March 1, 1904.

ROLAND W. KNAPP, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STEAM-CONDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 753,404, dated March 1,1904. Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,658. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROLAND W. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAir-Cooled Steam- Condensers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. V 7

My present invention has for its especial object to provide an improvedsteam-condenser for steam-propelled automobiles; and to this end itconsists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafterdescribed, and defined in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away,showing my improved condenser applied in' working position to the bodyor box of an automobile or steamcarriage; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing in outline thecondenser removed from the box or carriage body. Fig. 3* is a plan Viewof the said condenser, onan enlarged scale, some parts being broken awayand others sectioned and showing the front and rear. portions thereofmoved close together. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on theline :12 af of Figs. 3 and 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectionon the line 12 m of Figs- 3 and 3. Fig. 6 is a detail in transversevertical section on the line to a of Figs. 3 and 3. Fig. 7 is a detailin section on the line a m of Fig. 5, and Fig. Sis a detail intransverse vertical section illustrating a slightly-modifiedconstruction of the body of the condenser.

The box or body of the carriage is indicated as an entirety by thenumeral 1, and the body of the condenser is indicated as an entirety bythe numeral 2. This condenser 2 is afforded by a thin sheet-metal shellof approximately rectangular form and which approximately underlies theentire bottom of the box. The said condenser, or rather the bodythereof, is made up of a plurality of depending folds or corrugations2*, which communicate at their upper portions, as best'shown in Figs. 4and 5 and also in Fig. 6. The ends of said corrugations or folds areclosed, preferably, by pressing the sides thereof together and rivetingthe same, as indicated at 2 in Figs. 1, 5, and 7. The saidcondenser-body may be secured to the bottom of the box or carriagebody 1in any suitable way; but the corrugations or folds thereof must runlongitudinally or from front to rear of the box, and the said boxdirectly in front and in the rear of the cor rugations or folds 2 mustbe left open, so as to permit of the free circulation of air between thesaid folds under the forward movement of the machine.

Near its forward end the top of the body or shell2 is formed with thetransversely-extended bulge 3, and near its rear end it is provided witha similar bulge 4, which bulges, as shown, fit within recesses formedfor the same in the bottom of the box 1, as best shown in Fig. l.*Asshown, the steam-inlet pipe 5 -opens into the right-hand side of theshell or body 2 in line with the bulge 4, and the exhaust-pipe 6 opensvertically upward in the top of the said bulge 4 on the left-hand sideof the device. The'bulges 3 and 4 afford free communication between thetops of the depending corrugations orfolds' 2 The said body or shell 2is divided into two longitudinally extended main compartments by meansof a centrally-disposed and longitudinally-extended dividing-partition,preferably afforded by bringing one of the folds up to the top of theshell and riveting the same, as shown at 7 in Figs. 3, 3", 4, and 6. Thebulge 4 is also divided at its center by a partitionsection 8. (Shown inFigs. 4and 5.) The bulge 3 affords free communication between theforward ends of the two main compartments as well as between the foldsor depending corrugations.

All of the folds or depending corrugations of the condenser are incommunication with a drip pipe or tube 9. (Best shown in Fig. 4.)

The travel of the steam through the condenser will be as follows:Entering into the right-hand compartment of the condenser, at the rearend thereof, through the inlet-pipe 5, it will fill the dependingcorrugations or folds of that section and will travel forwardtherethrough until it comes to the bulge 3, through which it will passinto the forward end of the left-hand compartment and will then becaused to travel rearward through the corrugations or folds of theleft-hand compartment until such of the steam as may not be condensed,if any,will pass outward through the exhaust-pipe 6.

It will thus be seen that the steam is permitted to greatly expandwithin the condenser and is then caused to travel slowly and in thinsheets over condensing-surfaces, all of which are exposed to the directcooling action of the air which surrounds the many folds orcorrugations. It will also be seen that a maximum amount ofcooling-surface is exposed to the external air by the arrangement of thecorrugations or folds. The fact that the said folds or corrugationsextend longitudinally of the carriage body or box, or, in other words,in ,the direction of the travel of the carriage, and are exposed attheir ends is, as already stated, very important, since under theforward movement of the carriage air will be blown or caused to rapidlytravel longitudinally over the surfaces of the said folds, and thusinsures a rapid cooling action. With the corrugations extendedtransversely of the carriage air would not freely circulate between thesame under the movement of the carriage, since the said corrugationswould simply afford a plurality of dead-air spaces in which the airwould be caged to a very considerable extent.

The obvious purpose of a condenser of this character is to save water,which is an important feature in steam automobiles or carriages, whichmust frequently make long trips where water is not always available.Aside from this feature of economy in the use of water the inconvenienceof having to frequently recharge the tank is obviated to a great extent.As another feature I run afeedwater-heating tube or pipe 10 alternatelyin one direction and then in the other through the condenser, as bestshown in Fig. 3, but also in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein it will be notedthat one section of the said tubes 10' directly overlies each dependingfold or corrugation 2. The ends of the sections of the tube 10preferably extend through the sides of the shell 2 and are connectedalternately by couplings 11, having plugs 12, which plugs when removedpermit the sections to be readily cleaned. The feed-water tube will ofcourse extend to the boiler of the engine.

It will of course be understood that the condenser disclosed is capableof considerable modification within the scope of my invention as hereinset forth and claimed.

The boxes or bodies of some steam-carriages are inclined upward at theirforward ends, and in this case the corrugated or folded body of thecondenser would be also turned upward at its forward end, so as tofollow the said box.

It will also be understood that the device herein for convenience termeda steam-condenser is capable of a more general use and would make anextremely-efficient device for cooling the circulating water of anexplosiveengine, especially when used in connection with an automobile.

It will be further understood that the condenser might be provided withmore than one dividing-partition and that such partitions may be formedin a great many different ways.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

A condenser having longitudinally-extending depending corrugations orfolds communicating at their tops, and a longitudinally-extendedpartition dividing said condenser in two compartments, a communicatingpassage through said partition at one end of the condenser, and inletand outlet passages at the other end of the condenser, the one openinginto one compartment, and the other opening from the other compartmentof said condenser, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROLAND W. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH H. KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT.

